Tim de Paravicini, co-founder (with his wife, Oliva) of EAR Yoshino, a polymath who built and designed every component in the audio chain, from cutting lathes to studio recorders through to loudspeakers, has died, aged 75, of liver cancer. At one stage in the 90s, Paravicini’s EAR 859 valve amplifier, a true Class-A design delivering 13-watts per channel, was Japan’s best-selling valve amplifier—more of them were sold in that country than all other valve amplifiers together.
Many in the audio business called Paravicini “the world’s best valve circuit designer.” He was also something of a curmudgeon, so an almost equal number, whilst admitting his multiple and extraordinary talents, described him as being contrary and rather difficult to get on with. What many imagined was his nickname (‘the Baron’) as a
